Kingdom Hearts IIIwill be featured in the next issue of Weekly Famitsu. This issue, releasing on February 22nd, will contain information about the Monsters, Inc. world, which was announced during the Kingdom Hearts Fan Event at D23 Japan 2018 in form of a new trailer, along with the 'Link' system. You can view the teaser scan below.

Here is the summary of the article. (translations by KH13 Staff member Mio-chan)

“Kingdom Hearts III introduce a new world Monsters, Inc. , and a Link system (First weekly publication)

Various events were performed at the Disney Fan Festival D23 Expo Japan 2018 .

During the Kingdom Hearts Premium Theater 2018 held on February 10, 2018, new informations have been revealed to the public. Famitsu March’s issue will summarizes the informations.

Informations about the new world Monsters, Inc. , Riku & King Mickey’s costume and hairstyle, and battle scenes showing the Link system (among others) have been posted.”

UPDATE [Feb 21, 2018]: The March 8th edition of Weekly Famitsu has been released. Kingdom Hearts III appears in a 6-page spread with a recap of the D23 Japan 2018 Monsters, Inc. trailer and D23 Japan 2018 "Don't Think Twice/Chikai" trailer. You can view the scans in the gallery below.

One interesting piece of information that was mentioned was the Link system. We have a translation of this part, which you can read below. (translations by KH13 staff member Mio-chan)

"In KH Birth By Sleep, the Dimentional Link system allowed you to temporary borrow the power of a distant ally. Fulfilling certain conditions, Ariel and Meow Wow (among others) who have connected to Sora’s heart will appear and do various effects."

Welcome to KH13.com’s coverage of D23 Expo Japan 2018, which returns to Tokyo Disney Resort on February 10-12, 2018, for a third time to celebrate all things Disney!

This time, a Kingdom Hearts Fan Event is taking place as part of its Disney Magical Theatre program on Saturday, February 10, at 4:00 PM to 5:20 PM JST. This is:· Friday, February 9 at 11:00 PM - 12:20 AM PST;· Saturday, February 10 at 1:00 AM - 2:20 AM CST, 2:00 AM - 3:20 AM EST, and 7:00 AM – 8:20 AM GMT.

There is no indication that this event will be livestreamed; rather, it was said that the program will be giving “an amazing experience exclusive to this event”. It is currently unknown what the Kingdom Hearts Fan Event will be about, what will be shown, and if Kingdom Hearts III will be shown or not.

During this coverage, we will be collecting all the information available from the attendees of the D23 Expo Japan 2018 and the Kingdom Hearts Fan Event, and keep you up to date with all available news. So stay tuned!

As more Japanese websites post new articles recapping D23 Japan 2018, more information about Kingdom Hearts III and Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross] is revealed. According to ure.pia.co.jp, a video was shown which featured the Japanese voice actors for Sora and Kairi sharing their experience working on the series. Additionally, the site shares new information regarding a major update to Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross] coming this spring.

Miyu Irino (Sora) and Risa Uchida (Kairi) greeted the fans in their video. Irino shares that his favorite world so far to voice Sora in was Toy Story, and he's excited for the final product. Uchida commends her character for being so brave and confronting the darkness, something she admits she might not be able to do herself if put in a similar situation.The video ended by assuring the audience that they have greatly enjoyed their experience working on the Kingdom Hearts series, and that relationships between the voice actors and the development team are strong and healthy!

Concerning Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross], the article mentions that a major update will be coming to the game this Spring, including a Player vs. Player feature. Also, a brand new world to the Kingdom Hearts series will appear in the game. This world has not appeared in a Kingdom Hearts game to date and will not be one of the worlds in Kingdom Hearts III - so this world is completely new to the series. A specific release date was not given for the Spring update, and the new world was not specified. This information will be revealed in the future.

Watch the new Kingdom Hearts III trailers from D23 Expo Japan 2018 here, and don't forget to catch up with our coverage of the event here!

During the Kingdom Hearts Fan Event at D23 Japan 2018, Square Enix revealed a new world for Kingdom Hearts III. Monsters, Inc. assets were previously leaked, but the world is now confirmed to appear in Kingdom Hearts III. This news has been highly anticipated amongst the Kingdom Hearts community, and should be a welcome addition to the series in the upcoming title as a result.

Kingdom Hearts III releases for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2018.

UPDATE [Feb 12, 2018]: According to @tashasounart, the Monsters Inc. world will have its own storyline. It's possible that this could be a retelling of Monsters Inc with the inclusion of Sora or it's completely separate from the movies.

What do you think of this news? Are you excited for Monsters Inc’s inclusion, or are you hesitant toward this reveal? Let us know in the comments! Also, be sure to follow our coverage article to keep up on everything related to D23 Expo Japan 2018 and the Kingdom Hearts Fan Event!

The attendees of the Kingdom Hearts Fan Event at D23 Expo Japan 2018 were able to watch exclusive media from Kingdom Hearts III, featuring Tangled, Baymax, and the Toy Story world.

One such footage was a "Making of Kingdom Hearts III" video, which provided a glimpse into the Kingdom of Corona from Tangled. The castle town was shown; Rapunzel was seen walking, with her hair floating with the wind in a way that responded very well to the topography and physics of the world. There were many NPCs walking about, along with many elegant houses and shops, helping to portray the town in vivid detail comparable to the movie.

A picture was taken which shows Rapunzel admiring her braid, with a few NPCs and buildings in the background to bring out the atmosphere of the Kingdom.

Traveling in various Disney worlds is a real pleasure in the Kingdom Hearts series; in KHIII not only the fields where the action takes place are expanded, but there will be also an emphasis on the cities. The castle town of the world “Tangled” showed at the presentation was truly full of NPCs coming and going, along with a lot of elegant houses and shops. The illusion of being in a Disney world seems to be stronger than ever.

The world of Rapunzel has been announced since early development, but the reason why the gameplay video was not released was because it took a considerable amount of time to represent Rapunzel's long hair, nothing else. There have been few cases of putting such long-haired characters in the game so far, the treatment was tough and the hair was floating in the sky all the time. At the presentation, the video in which Rapunzel was walking was also released, the hair stretched in the wind, fell down where there are difference of levels, and responded to the topography very realistically.

Unfortunately, due to copyright concerns, we had to remove the gallery album from this article. We apologize for the inconvenience.Watch the new Kingdom Hearts III trailers from D23 Expo Japan 2018 here, and don't forget to catch up with our coverage of the event here!

Square Enix released high quality images from the latest Kingdom Hearts III trailers via a press release, Gamespot, 4Gamer. They have also released character renders for Riku, King Mickey, Sulley, Mike, and the monster versions of Sora, Donald and Goofy.

Riku's render shows his new Keyblade, and Sora's render shows off his Monsters, Inc. inspired Keyblade.

You can view the images below.

Watch the new Kingdom Hearts III trailers from D23 Expo Japan 2018 here, and don't forget to catch up with our coverage of the event here!

Welcome to KH13's trailer analysis for the D23 Japan 2018 trailers (yes, trailers, because we received two new trailers)! Let's get right into it.The trailer starts with Sora, Donald and Goofy in the Tangled world calling out an unknown character. Then, we get our first glimpse of Marluxia in Kingdom Hearts 3. We've been given hints to Marluxia's appearance, especially in the Tangled world, thanks to the flower-attack using, scythe-wielding Nobodies seen in the Jump Festa 2016 trailer.

One thing to note about his incredible character model is that his eyes are blue, thus we are led to assume he has not been "norted".

He further confirms this by claiming he is part of the ONLY Organization, the original Organization XIII, not the new 13 seekers of darkness who will take on the 7 guardians of light as is written in the Book of Prophecies. Speaking of eyes, there has been a lot of concern over Sora's eyes in this opening scene. It seems as though his eyes have a green-ish tint, but it looks like this is a result of the lighting, since Sora has blue eyes in the rest of the trailer. Here, we can clearly see his eyes are mostly blue with a strange green tint on the bottom.

All in all, not a cause for concern!

The trailer then cuts to new Toy Story footage. We can hear the use of Sora's Theme in the background, but it sounds different than other versions used in previous games. Many are saying it is the Orchestra version of the song. Also, it looks like this is the scene directly before or directly after the footage we saw at D23 2017. We see Sora, Donald and Goofy running off toward the same group of heartless we saw them running toward in the previous trailer.

Shortly after, a Monsters Inc. world was confirmed to be true after previously being leaked back in December. Compared to the images in the leak, it seems as though each character model got a re-hash, especially Sora. However, the orange fur seen in the leaks will play a major part further on in the analysis! Sora now has grey fur as the default, and the stripe pattern largely resembles a Chirithy, which may or may not be a coincidence. The characters all make their acquaintances and the trailer cuts to our first bit of gameplay.

The first thing to note is that the command menu looks ... different. Yes, the world-specific designs for the command menu return in Kingdom Hearts III.

The design changes from world to world, and will still change colors depending on whether or not Sora and company are in battle mode. We also see 5 party members used again, with Mike and Sully joining the fray. During this scene we also see the Monsters, Inc. Keyblade.

It looks a lot like a wrench-type weapon wearing a hard hat, a staple in the Monsters, Inc. movie. The keychain is Boo in her handmade monster costume, and a blinking light can be found on the other side of the "teeth" of the blade.

In the next cut, we see Sora and company in battle. They are fighting Unversed, both old (Flood) and new. This will make sense at the end of the trailer! One thing I noted in this section of the trailer is that, for the first time in a recent Kingdom Hearts III trailer, enemies drop Blue orbs upon defeating them. Even in the recent D23 2017 trailer, only a select few enemies dropped orbs, and they were only HP and Focus orbs. The strange thing is that the orbs that drop in this trailer are very obviously blue. This shot shows three different orbs being dropped - Green (HP?), Yellow with a dark spiral (Focus?), and these Blue orbs.

One can assume they are for MP, but this is a change from the MP "bubbles" used in previous games. However, the MP "bubbles" from previous games are not seen in the trailer, so this very well could be their replacement.

Next, we get footage of the Monsters, Inc. Keyblade's transformation. The first stage is called Quick Claws, and uses, as expected, quick slashing attacks. You may have noticed, also, that Sora now has the orange fur seen in the leaked images. It seems as though this is a result of using the Keyblade transformation. I would like to take a minute then to confirm a bit of a theory going around surrounding Sora's clothes during Keyblade transformations. We've seen the yellow Brave Form during the Olympus Keyblade transformation, the red Power Form seen during the Toy Story Keyblade transformation, and a currently unnamed Blue Form during the Starlight Keyblade's transformation. It seems as though these drive forms and the Keyblade transformations are connected. Perhaps each Keyblade (and its corresponding transformation) corresponds to a certain type - Defense (yellow), Magic (blue), or Attack (red). From what we've seen so far, it looks like Defensive forms focus on single-enemy, conservative battles while Magic forms focus on keeping a distance and using projectiles to attack, leaving Attack forms to focus on crowd control and large amounts of enemies. This could potentially add another level of strategy in choosing the appropriate weapon for each individual situation. I am unsure, though, which category the Quick Claws belong too. The yellow fur tells us Defense, but the red stripes and the obviously-offense focus of the Quick Claws say otherwise.

Continuing on with the trailer, we see the return of Reaction Commands, when Sora uses one to climb back onto the railing after avoiding an electric pulse. He then uses the same projectile Flowmotion attack used at the very beginning of the D23 2017 trailer.

The trailer then cuts to the Tangled world again where we see Rapunzel and Flynn Rider for the first time. Rapunzel uses her hair and the environment around her (latching onto trees and swinging around) to attack, while Flynn uses a frying pan and a barrel to fight the heartless. We also get a glimpse of the new Tangled Keyblade.

Unfortunately, it's tough to get a good shot of the Keyblade because this section has a lot of fast-paced combat and combos against the dandelion heartless... yet again... The Keyblade resembles Rapunzel's tower with a design that resembles her hair wrapping around it.The next cut shows Sora using the Tangled Keyblade's transformation - Mirage Staff. This clip further confirms the theory about Sora's clothes - they are Blue here and his movement, and even the way he "holds" his weapon, strongly resemble Wisdom Form from Kingdom Hearts II. We don't see him attack anything here, but he is seen skating around while an elemental heartless attempts to hurt him.

The next cut shows Sora swimming in order to traverse the terrain, much like he did in Kingdom Hearts. Swimming hasn't been used since then for some reason, but it returns here. Then, we see Sora summoning Ariel from The Little Mermaid to aid in battle. I have seen this taken in two ways: 1. Ariel being a summon means there is no Atlantica world (much like how all summons in Kingdom Hearts II came from Disney worlds not included in the game). 2. Atlantica is in the game, and she is a summon much like how Genie and Tinker Bell were acquired from their respective worlds. In my personal opinion, Atlantica will NOT be in Kingdom Hearts III simply based on the fact that Nomura claims that almost all worlds in the game will be new.

The next shot is of Sora using the Shotlock while using the Mirage Staff transformation. We knew from the Orchestra trailer that each Keyblade transformation has its own use of the Shotlock command, and we see that move for Mirage Staff here, called Spectral Rays. He is using it on the only Nobodies in the trailer - a Dusk and a "Marluxia-themed" enemy.

We then see the Finish command for Mirage Staff, which summons a large tower (similar to Rapunzel's tower) that Sora stands on top of while enemies below are destroyed with magic. The interesting thing here is that Mirage Staff is the only portion of the Keyblade transformation we see in the entire trailer. Is there only one phase? It may be, or there may be an option to finish before changing into the second part of the transformation. In any case, we only see Mirage Staff and no indicators are shown to change to anything else.

We are then brought back to the Toy Story world, where Sora and company are taking on heartless in a ball pit of sorts. Sora activates Hyper Hammer and then quickly uses the Mad Tea Cups attraction flow. It is still unclear how Attraction Flow is activated, seeing as no on-screen indicator appears before Sora summons the Tea Cups. Nomura stated that Attraction Flow is very location-specific, and so far this ball pit and Twilight Town are the only locations we've seen this Attraction Flow used. We do know that the Mad Tea Cups have an attack called "Cup Slide" if that's any compensation.

We then see the gang fighting what looks to be a boss in the Toy Story world. Looking at the background of this fight, I have no idea where it takes place. There are giant toys and dolls floating in the background, and instead of ground or even sky, it's nothing but clouds.

Are we suspended in the air? Are we in some sort of fantasy? No clue but it is a bit outlandish. Aside from that, we see Sora, Buzz and Woody use an attack called Rocket Ruckus, which looks to be either a world-specific or boss-specific attack, meaning it can either only be used in this world or only during this boss. My immediate thought is that it is acting like a Limit Command from Kingdom Hearts II. This could be a Limit with Buzz and Woody, and like the Scream Strike with Mike Wizowski coming up shortly in the trailer. One thing I noticed from the trailer is that, as they are getting ready to launch off, Buzz's lips move as if he's saying something, but there is no dialogue. Perhaps this means there is more voice recording to do, or there is no actual dialogue here. In the next shot of the boss fight, the world has gone dark, much like the second phase of the final boss battle in Kingdom Hearts 0.2 -A Fragmentary Passage-. While Sora is platforming, we also see a square indicator, much like the ones seen in the D23 2017 trailer that let the players know it is a surface that you can use the Shotlock Flowmotion on for travel.

The last bit of gameplay takes us back to Monsters, Inc. where Sora uses a Flowmotion attack on a heartless. We are then shown the second phase of the Quick Claws Keyblade transformation - Twin Yo-Yos. These combos allow for Sora to keep a distance as the Yo-Yos travel to smack into enemies. The finish command turns both Yo-Yos into a cage that then crush any unlucky enemy that ends up between them. All the while, a command for "Scream Strike" hangs out until the Yo-Yo finisher is used, which further confirms my Limit Command theory. It seems as though transformations take precedence over the other moves, seeing as the same button would need to be used in order to activate them, and the finisher is used first. The "Scream Strike" turns out to be a silly move where Sora bowls Mike Wizowski into a group of heartless, who all seem to be standing in perfect formation. How nice of them! Immediately following that attack, a Meow Wow dream eater from Dream Drop Distance appears to aid Sora in battle. The cut of the trailer does not allow us to see just how the Meow Wow is summoned, so for now that remains a mystery. During the Wonder Balloon attack mode, Sora has the option to perform the Balloon Rush or Tornado Jump attacks, or to cancel the mode altogether. It seems as though we don't actually see either of these attacks, as the trailer just shows a rush of different types of Dream Eaters pouring out of the bursting Meow Wow, attacking nearby enemies.

The final seconds of the trailer show Vanitas - a surprise to most. However, the Unversed seen in the Monsters, Inc. world now make sense. Vanitas claims that he needs the other half of himself residing inside Sora. He is of course referring to Ventus. Sora calls out Vanitas by name and shocks himself, as he has never met him before. This is clearly Ventus speaking through him, much like Roxas cried through Sora in Kingdom Hearts II when he left his friends Hayner, Pence, and Olette behind. Vanitas is donning an Organization coat, confirming his place in the 13 Darknesses. The trailer ends with reconfirmation of a 2018 release.

The second trailer has just a few new, notable bits. The first new bit is the shot of Sora dropping into Olympus Coliseum. It is safe to assume that this is the actual shot of Sora entering the world directly after the 2.9 scene in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep 0.2 because he is seen in his Kingdom Hearts II outfit. The lighting in this shot has also been altered slightly since we last saw it in the Orchestra trailer. A treasure chest seen on a floating island in the distance also changed locations for some reason!

We are also shown footage of Sora going through the cinematic transformation into Mirage Staff - still no attacks. Sora also fights the Rock Troll in his Kingdom Hearts II clothes, implying that we get to fight the Rock Troll fairly early in the game. The Rock Troll also starts losing health this time around when Sora attacks him!

Young Master Xehanort also seems to have gotten a graphics enhancement, and his ears are now a bit pointy. A montage of both new and old cinematics are shown, but there's not much to say of them because there is no dialogue heard over the new song by Utada Hikaru - Don't Think Twice. More characters, such as Xemnas, Ansem, and Sora received graphics updates as well.

The final scene of the trailer shows Riku and Mickey for the first time in Kingdom Hearts III. It can be assumed that the contents of the suitcases the duo carries off in 2.9 are their new clothes, shown off here. Riku's keyblade, Way to Dawn, has been broken at the end. How this happened, no one knows, but we can assume the two have an epic battle right before this scene. This also leads me to believe that the second playable character in the game is none other than Riku. I expect to play as Riku alongside Mickey in the Realm of Darkness as they search for Aqua. This could also be where 0.2 was to be included in Kingdom Hearts III. Nomura once mentioned that the entirety of 0.2 was to be in Kingdom Hearts III but was removed due to there being too much content. As for the "other me" Riku makes reference to, much of the fandom expects Riku-Replica from Chain of Memories. My problem with this theory is that Riku should supposedly have no recollection of the events of Chain of Memories. We will just have to wait and see! Mickey seems just as confused as we are.

If I missed anything notable, or if I made a mistake please let me know in the comments below (civilly) and I will make adjustments! I hope you enjoyed this analysis! May your heart be your guiding key.

Watch the new Kingdom Hearts III trailers from D23 Expo Japan 2018 here, and don't forget to catch up with our coverage of the event here!

The official Japanese Disney website has confirmed that Kingdom Hearts will be making an appearance at D23 Expo Japan 2018, held from February 10th, 2018 to February 12th, 2018. The listing confirms Kingdom Hearts, calling it the "Kingdom Hearts Fan Event," which is currently just a tentative title.

During the Kingdom Hearts Fan Event at D23 Japan 2018, Square Enix showcased a trailer for the hit mobile game Final Fantasy Record Keeper. This trailer confirmed that Sora and Riku will be making an appearance as playable characters!You can view this trailer below!

In addition to this trailer, the Japanese Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross] Twitteraccount confirmed that the so-called "Gummi Ship Campaign" is commemorating a crossover for both games. Depending on each game's total number of players, the games' respective login bonuses will increase, culminating in a Kingdom Key weapon for FFRK players, and a pair of Illustrated Cloud and Illustrated Sephiroth medals for KHUx players!

What do you think of this news? Are you excited for this crossover? Let us know in the comments! Also, be sure to follow our coverage article to keep up on everything related to D23 Expo Japan 2018 and the Kingdom Hearts Fan Event!

A variety of Kingdom Hearts merchandise has been spotted at D23 Expo Japan 2018! While some of this merchandise has been sold at other events or through Square Enix's various online stores, a large portion of it has never been seen before! These exclusive items include mugs, tote bags, posters, T-shirts, bean plates, masking tape, a King Mickey-themed washcloth, KH-themed rubber grips and three different types of art prints! You can view photos of these items below, courtesy of Twitter user 124Shuya, with the image of the washcloth courtesy of Twitter user Naxkia, and the image of the art prints courtesy of Twitter user Aros_evoL.

Which of these items would you buy if you were at D23 Expo Japan 2018? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to follow our coverage article to keep up on everything related to D23 Expo Japan 2018 and the Kingdom Hearts Fan Event!

At the Kingdom Hearts Fan Event at the D23 Expo Japan 2018, series director Tetsuya Nomura and series executive producer Shinji Hashimoto came on stage - along with a very eager King Mickey - to present exclusive Kingdom Hearts III content to the attendees. During their presentation, they disclosed some interesting information regarding the development of Kingdom Hearts III.

Everyone in the Osaka studio is working on Kingdom Hearts III, with 100 additional employees from Tokyo.

Kingdom Hearts III has a dedicated Lighting Team and Facial Animation Team

The Background (BG) team alonehas 80 members and even outsources to a foreign studio, making it the biggest BG team in Square Enix.

Nomura explained the development process of Kingdom Hearts III by categorizing it into three parts: early, middle, and late development.

There are around 3 worlds per section - but this does not mean there will be nine worlds in Kingdom Hearts III in total.

The early stage worlds are 90% complete, and the middle stage worlds are 60-70% complete. The audience was not given a percentage completion for the last stage, but he said it was something incredible, "something he's always wanted to do and put into Kingdom Hearts, ever since the days of working on Final Fantasy. It is bound to surprise everyone." While he didn't disclose the contents of this last stage of development, he appeared to be very satisfied with it via using phrases such as "everything can be done" or "culmination of the past".

According to the developers, "It seems like this Kingdom Hearts is in a whole new league."

Minigames were showing during the "Making of Kingdom Hearts III" video inspired by Giantland, a Mickey Mouse short from 1933 inspired by "Jack and the Beanstalk". They showed Rumplewatt the Giant at the table trying to catch a little 2D Sora, who is then seen hiding from him behind a fruit bow. A little 2D Mickey can be seen as well, jumping from the lamps. Hollie Bennett from PlayStation commented that this minigame looked like the Game & Watch games from the 1980's. You can see them below:

When developing the game, the team write the story board, then develop the script and finally do the animation, unlike most game developers.

There will be a special capture method for subduing rare Heartless. (For the regular Heartless, defeating them will be distinguished by striking them depending on what's on their head.) It was said that exclusive missions are being prepared.

The "Making ofKingdom Hearts III" video also included a behind-the-scenes on how the Keyblade for the Monsters Inc. world was developed. The developers discussed the difficulty in designing a Keyblade that was true to the world, and showed a storyboard of images that helped influence it. They said they made several designs, shortlisted one or two, and selected the final design based on Nomura's preference.

*In the recent PlayStation Access video, Hollie Bennett reports that Kingdom Hearts III has the biggest Background Music Team in Square Enix; IGN Japan reports that it is the biggest Background Team (in charge of city and field design). It is unclear which statement is true, or if both are true.

After the conclusion of the Kingdom Hearts Fan Event at D23 Expo Japan 2018, Japanese Twitter user and D23 Expo attendee Usamasuku confirmed that Kingdom Hearts III will feature open-world Gummi Ship gameplay, complete with a "search" function for exploration and a "battle" function. In addition, the Gummi Ship remains customizable, just like it did in its previous incarnations! The attendee in question compared the Gummi Ship's battles to those seen in the Star Wars franchise!

GameSpot adds that combat has been augmented, and will have more enemies that in the preceding games in the series. PlayStation Access reported that over 30 types of enemies will be available to battle against.

IGN details that the customization factor of Gummi Ships will be richer in this game. The exploration phase will involve directing the Gummi Ship freely in any direction, at 360°, on a field much like an open world.

The new Kingdom Hearts III theme song by Utada Hikaru, titled “Oath”, was revealed at the Kingdom Hearts Fan Event at D23 Expo Japan 2018. The English version of this song is titled "Don't Think Twice". "Oath" played during Kingdom Hearts III Theme Song Trailer revealed at the event; you can watch and listen to both songs below.

"Oath" will be included in Utada Hikaru's seventh studio album, due to release this year.

You can also watch and listen to the Kingdom Hearts III Theme Song Trailer with English subtitles and "Don't Think Twice" playing in the background.

What are your thoughts on this new song? Do you think it will suit the opening to Kingdom Hearts III? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to watch the Monsters Inc. Trailer and catch up with our coverage of D23 Expo Japan 2018!

King Mickey's Kingdom Hearts III outfit has been revealed through a new medal design for Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross]. This design is very reminiscent of Sora's own Kingdom Hearts III outfit. This new EX medal is being released tomorrow (from the time of this article's publishing) as a login bonus for the Japanese version of Kingdom Hearts Union χ[Cross]! You can view this new medal, complete with the new design, below.

What do you think of this new design? Do you like that Mickey's new design is similar to Sora's? Are you going to be obtaining this new medal in-game? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to follow our coverage article for D23 Expo Japan 2018 and the Kingdom Hearts Fan Event!

D23 Expo Japan 2018 attendees will be able to use their My Disney smartphone app to collect various virtual stamps around the venue to exchange for prizes!

The stamps are shown below. As you can see, one of them features Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

You can also see a portrait photo frame featuring the trio, with Sora sporting his Kingdom Hearts III look. Attendees can use the AR camera in the My Disney app to take pictures with the Kingdom Hearts III frame at specific spots at the event.

More information about the campaign can be found here. Below is a translations, courtesy of KH13 Staff Mio-chan.

Spoiler

Disney Memorial Spot « Stamp Rally & Digital Photo Frame »

Have fun collecting Stamp Rally and using Digital Photo frame during the Event with the My Disney App! Collect all the stamps and get original sticker at the hall.

Using the My disney application, tap « AR camera » or select it directly from the menu to use it.

Event Period (JST)February 2nd (Saturday), 11th (Sunday and public holidays), and 12th (Monday and holidays)

10:00 am to 6:00 pm

Maihama Amphitheater/ IKSPIARI

Step 1Install the My Disney App

Step 2Log to your Disney account

Step 3Tap the AR camera from the menu to start

Step 4Go around the area, take photos of the AR markers placed in the 4 spots and collect stamps!

Step 5After collecting all the stamps, go to the appointed location and show your photos to the staff to get a prize!

Stamps Rally

You can participate to the Stamps Rally by holding the AR camera over a AR marker.The Rally points are located in 4 different places in the Event area.

Facility name: Location

IKSPIARI: Theater FrontMaihama Amphitheater: In front of the Maihama AmphitheaterIKSPIARI 3rd Floor: Gracious SquareIKSPIARI: In front of the Celebration Plaza

IKSPIARI, in front of the Celebration Plaza

*The trade period of the original sticker is from 11:00am to 8:00pm (planned hours).*Please note that it will end as soon as the prize runs out.

After collecting all four stamps, head to the Premium Trade place and tap the "Get a gift" button.The staff will tap the « Use a coupon » button during the Trade period. Please do not tap it by yourself.

Digital Photo Frames

If you hold the AR camera over a marker set up for the Event, you can enjoy the limited digital photo frames.Take a memorial photo, show it to your friends and share it via SMS! And since every frame can be enjoyed with a different marker, go around and find the spots!

Digital Photo Frame Screen Legend

a) Switch between in-camera and out-camerab) Return to the Menu screenc) Take a photo

Precautions when using AR camera

•My Disney application is available from 13 years old.•For those who use iOS version applications, please create a new account from the [Login / New registration] button on My Disney site.

Furthermore, a commemorative auction for the D23 Expo Japan 2018 will be held from February 21, 2018, at 8am JST, to February 27, 2018, at 11.59pm JST (subject to change). One of the items listed for the auction is a Kingdom Hearts III Sora (Second Form ver.) Bring Arts figure signed by series director Tetsuya Nomura.

Now, it has been revealed that the Sora (Second Form) Bring Arts figure will be available to purchase at D23 Expo Japan 2018. The figure will cost ¥6,264 (approx. $56.69 USD), tax included. D23 Expo Japan 2018 will take place from February 10th - 12th, 2018.

This figure is also a part of the D23 pre-order lottery, where it's available with only 2,000 copies.

Kingdom Hearts series director Tetsuya Nomura has previously stated that "Second Form" is only a tentative name for the time being so this new Drive Form will possibly get a name change in the future.

There are two Kingdom Hearts Crown Watches that will be available to purchase at D23 Expo Japan 2018 as well. They're also part of the D23 pre-order lottery with only 30 copies available of each. Check out more about them in the article here.

In the January 2018 issue of PlayStation Official Magazine UK published back in December, and the February issue of PlayStation Official Magazine - Australia published recently, Kingdom Hearts III was featured in the Previews section. In its short blurb, it is claimed that the game is split between the perspectives of both Sora and Riku, and that a world based upon the Disney movie "Fantasia" will be present in the game. Other bits of information that we already knew about it were also stated, such as needing to stop Xehanort from starting another Keyblade War, a Toy Story world and a Tangled world being present, Drive Forms returning, wall-running, and more.

You can view the Kingdom Hearts III section from the magazine in the album below:

The alleged claim of the game being split between the perspectives of Sora and Riku seems to hint at the fact that Riku could be the second playable character in Kingdom Hearts III. But, as this is only stated in PlayStation Official Magazine UK and PlayStation Official Magazine - Austrailia, and not stated by Square Enix or Tetsuya Nomura, or accompanied by any interview or direct statement, it is difficult to judge the validity of these statements.

As for the comment about the Fantasia world, a Fantasia-themed world titled "Symphony of Sorcery" has been featured in the series before in the title "Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance." These statements overall sound very similar to Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, as the game included both a Fantasia-themed world, as well as it being from the perspectives of both Sora and Riku. It's possible that they are confusing some elements of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance with Kingdom Hearts III. It's also possible that they are simply referring to The Mysterious Tower when they say that a Fantasia world will be in the game.

We have contacted PlayStation Official Magazine UK for clarification.

What are your thoughts on this Kingdom Hearts III excerpt from the January 2018 issue of PlayStation Official Magazine UK and the February 2018 issue of PlayStation Official Magazine - Australia? Do you think these statements hold any weight? Could they have had a misunderstanding or be mistaken? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

The first mention of new in-game music for Kingdom Hearts III has been done by artist PHI from SERGE on January 2, 2018. They tweeted that they were in charge of remixing the area and battle music for a certain world in Kingdom Hearts III.

UPDATE [Jan 10, 2018]: Upon investigating the person behind PHI from SERGE, known as Seiya Iwaoka, we have stumbled upon a photo of the cover art of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue that he posted on December 1, 2017, claiming to have worked on some tracks from the game. However, he does not seem to have been credited.

You can view the post here and below, with a translation provided by KH13 staff member Mio-chan.

"Prohibited information

I was a part of Kingdom Hearts 2.8’s music, and I also worked on remix!People who have the PS4 and have played the KH series, and for those whom it’s their first time, please play it!

It’s very interesting and has a deep story!”

It was only a month ago when Utada Teruzane, Utada Hikaru's father and manager, tweeted for fans to be positive regarding Utada Hikaru's involvement in Kingdom Hearts III.

UPDATE [Jan 20, 2018]: Both the tweet and the Instagram post have been deleted. PHI from SERGE has also deleted his Twitter account, YouTube channel, and PHI Instagram account (@phi_dj), stating "This account is not being used. Please observe." His statement can be seen here, translated by KH13 News Team member NihonScribe.

Let us know your expectations of the soundtrack of Kingdom Hearts III!

The product description for the Kingdom Hearts III Sora (Second Form) Bring Arts figure, provided by Previews World, can be seen below:

From Square Enix. A PREVIEWS Exclusive! This action figure of Sora, the protagonist of KINGDOM HEARTS III, has been re-created with great detail even though it stands at only six inches tall. This easy-to-carry figure is so compact it fits right in the palm of your hands! With a wide range of motion in the articulated joints, you can recreate action poses and scenes from the game. Sora's Keyblade, which comes in two separate forms, as well as plenty of other interchangeable hands and face parts are included with the figure to make him even more fun to pose. Paintwork that faithfully recreates the in-game CG, such as the crisp contrast of colors, creates a small but impressive figure. Figure includes display stand.

This is following the recent news that the Sora (Second Form) Bring Arts figure will be available to purchase at D23 Expo Japan 2018. The figure will cost ¥6,264 (approx. $56.69 USD), tax included. D23 Expo Japan 2018 will take place from February 10th - 12th, 2018. This figure is also a part of the D23 pre-order lottery, where it's available with only 2,000 copies. You can find out more about the figure being sold at D23 Expo Japan 2018 and the D23 pre-order lottery in the article here.

Kingdom Hearts series director Tetsuya Nomura has previously stated that "Second Form" is only a tentative name for the time being so this new Drive Form will possibly get a name change in the future.

On December 15, 2017, user Wrestleman posted two screenshots of an alleged new world in Kingdom Hearts III sourced to a Square Enix FTP server. Following this, other similar screenshots from the same world surfaced on Imgur on December 23, 2017.

Since then, more Kingdom Hearts III developer's content was made publicly downloadable from the server; they have quickly been taken down, but it is still possible to see the file names (most of them dated April and September 2017), which give away a partial list of worlds in the game.

Upon investigating the leaks, KH13.com have reason to believe these are legitimate.

However, due to ethical and copyright issues, we have decided to not report on them in detail any further.

KH13.com's spoiler policy on Kingdom Hearts III allows discussion on publicly announced content (eg. trailers, interviews, promotional pictures, etc.); however, leaks are to be discussed in the Spoilers subforum only. Avatars, statuses, and thread titles must not contain spoilers. We may be revising our Kingdom Hearts III spoiler policy in the future, according to future content releases by Square Enix and Disney.

We hope that fans understand our decision and respect the work done so far by the game's developing team by not divulging the leaks where they aren't warranted.